MUSKEGON, MI – Muskegon County's 60th District Court has been awarded a $65,000 state grant to run its previously unfunded veterans treatment court.

"This is good news," said Chief District Judge Maria Ladas Hoopes.

The grant will fund Muskegon County's program for one year starting Oct. 1. It's from the Michigan Veterans Treatment Court Grant Program, administered by the State Court Administrative Office.

The jail-diversion program offers mentoring, therapy and other services for Muskegon County combat veterans, suffering from documented post-traumatic stress disorder, who have been charged with crimes. If the participating veterans successfully complete probation, typically lasting 18 months to two years, they can wind up with no criminal conviction on their records.

Although veterans' treatment courts exist elsewhere in Michigan, Muskegon County's is the only such program in the state to be federally certified by the U.S. Department of Justice, Ladas Hoopes said.

It's been running without funding since January, presided over by Judge Michael J. Nolan. Nolan has continued as veterans court judge since retiring in May, serving in that role as a "visiting judge" until Gov. Rick Snyder appoints a successor to Nolan on the bench, Ladas Hoopes said.

Nolan and other program participants, including chief mentor David Eling, director of the Muskegon County Department of Veterans Affairs, received federal training from the Justice Department before the local program began.

The county is also seeking up to $200,000 in federal grants for the program but hasn't yet received word on whether those will be awarded, according to Ladas Hoopes.

Approximately 10 combat veterans have been participating. County officials hope that number will increase somewhat with the help of grant funding.

John S. Hausman covers courts, prisons, the environment and local government for MLive Muskegon Chronicle. Email him at jhausman@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter.